Aardvark
The Aardvark (Orycteropus afer) (afer: from Africa) is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa.2 It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata,3 although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. It is sometimes called "antbear", "anteater", or "Cape anteater" (after the Cape of Good Hope). The word "aardvark" is famous for being one of the first entries to appear in many encyclopaedias and even abridged dictionaries. The name comes from the Afrikaans/Dutch4 for "earth pig" or "ground pig" (aarde earth/ground, varken pig), because early settlers from Europe thought it resembled a domestic pig. However, the aardvark is not closely related to the pig; rather, it is the sole recent representative of the obscure mammalian order Tubulidentata, in which it is usually considered to form a single variable species of the genus Orycteropus, the sole surviving genus in the family Orycteropodidae. The aardvark is not closely related to the South American anteater, despite sharing some characteristics and a superficial resemblance.5 The closest living relatives of the aardvark are the elephant shrews, along with the sirenians, hyraxes, tenrecs, and elephants. Together, these animals form the superorder Afrotheria. In African folklore the aardvark is much admired because of its diligent quest for food and its fearless response to soldier ants. Hausa magicians make a charm from the heart, skin, forehead, and nails of the aardvark, which they then proceed to pound together with the root of a certain tree. Wrapped in a piece of skin and worn on the chest the charm is said to give the owner the ability to pass through walls or roofs at night. The charm is said to be used by burglars and those seeking to visit young girls without their parents' permission.8 The main character of Arthur, a popular animated television series for children produced by WGBH-TV and shown in more than 100 countries, is an aardvark.9 One of the main characters of the 1969-1971 animated cartoon The Ant and the Aardvark is a blue aardvark voiced by John Byner, doing an impersonation of Jackie Mason. It depicts the Aardvark attempting, and failing, to catch and eat his antagonist, the Ant. The Canadian cartoon series The Raccoons featured an antagonist named Cyril Sneer; he and his son Cedric were both portrayed as being aardvarks. Cerebus the Aardvark was the title character of a comic-book series by Dave Sim and Gerhard that ran from 1977 to 2004, and is still sold in collected volumes of reprints. The Aardvark song This is the start of the Laarge Daark Aardvark Song. (bum-bum-bum-bum, bum-bum-bum, bum, yeah yeah yeah!) There is a large dark aardvark in the park, They say he's missing from the zoo. (that's me, folks!) And the police are looking high and low But they have not seen him; have you? (peek-a-boo!) Why did he go? Oh, I'll tell you the reason: 'Cause it's aardvark mating season. When an aardvark makes a date He sneaks right through that old zoo gate. So, if you see two aardvarks necking in the park, Don't upset their apple cart. Do not be a spy, you're not the FBI And you should never break an aardvark's heart. This is the second chorus of the Aardvark Song. To be an aardvark is not easy, folks, 'Cause all you get to eat is ants. (dee-licious!) And all the other animals make jokes At your attempts to find romance. (very funny...) Nobody laughs at hippopotamusses, Or at fat rhinoceroses, But an aardvark makes them howl Because he's neither fish nor fowl; He's like a kangaroo in love with a gnu, And that's what makes the zoo folks laugh. All of this is so, and here is how I know: I'm your friendly neighborhood giraffe! This is the end of the Laarge Daark Aardvark Song. (bum-bum-bum-bum, bum-bum-bum, bum, yeah yeah yeah!) More lyrics: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/a/allan+sherman/#share Categoria:Aardvark Categoria:Animals